Call time today was 10.30am at unit base - playing PC nice day at a police station in Digbeth with the Actor Keith AllenFilming has begun in Birmingham on BBC One’s brand new drama, By Any Means, from Red Planet Pictures - the makers of hit series Death In Paradise.

The stellar ensemble cast is headed up by Warren Brown (Luther, Good Cop), Shelley Conn (Mistresses, Marchlands) and Andrew Lee Potts (Primeval, Ideal) and Gina McKee (The Borgias, In The Loop).

This original crime drama, created by a team of writers led by Tony Jordan (Hustle, Life On Mars), follows a clandestine police department living on the edge and playing the criminal elite at their own game. Living in the shadows and treading the fine line of the law, the maverick team bridge the grey area between the letter of the law and true justice. Led by the sharp and elusive Jack Quinn (Brown), alongside straight-talking Jessica Jones (Conn) and digital whizz-kid Thomas Tomkins (Potts), the shadowy and brilliant team will stop at nothing to fight fire with fire. Using insider tip-offs from the mysterious Helen Barlow (McKee), the team weave a web of cunning and deception, so when the law can’t take the criminal down, it’s up to them to deliver their unwary targets into the arms of justice. Other names who will appear in the series include Elliot Knight (Sinbad), John Henshaw (South Riding), Keith Allen (Robin Hood), Kate Dickie (Game Of Thrones), Neil Maskell (Utopia) and Martin Jarvis (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo). Commenting on his new role, Warren Brown said: “I’m thrilled and excited to be working on By Any Means. I loved Jack Quinn from the moment I read the script - he’s a great character full of contradictions which I’m looking forward to bringing to life.”

Belinda Campbell, Executive Producer for Red Planet Pictures, said: “By Any Means is a gripping and edgy drama, wonderfully crafted by our talented writing team. We’re delighted to have such a strong line-up of talent both on and off screen to translate these intricate plots and characters. With the action taking place on the cusp of the law, it provides the perfect premise for dramatic scenes, surprise twists and turns in the plot, as well as brilliantly complex and rich characters.”

Polly Hill, BBC Head of Independent Drama, said: “It’s great to see such a strong cast come together to form this original team in By Any Means. Tony has created a maverick team which we think our BBC One audience will enjoy and this cast will brilliantly bring that to screen.” By Any Means is a Red Planet Pictures production for the BBC. The series was penned by a writing team comprising of Tony Jordan, Richard Zajdlic, James Payne, Jeff Povey and Richard Lazarus whose combined credits include Strike Back, New Tricks, This Life, Silent Witness, EastEnders and Ashes To Ashes amongst other projects.

Tony Jordan and Belinda Campbell are executive producers for Red Planet Pictures and Polly Hill for BBC One. Lead director for the series is Charles Palmer (Doctor Who); it is produced by Tim Key (Death In Paradise) and commissioned by Danny Cohen, Controller, BBC One, and Ben Stephenson, Controller, BBC Drama Commissioning.